Just Like Swimming
by song-of-a-nightowl
Summary: Ariel traded her voice for legs. She's found by a captain named Killian who teaches her how to dance. Hookriel.
1. Chapter 1

Ariel's head burst above the surface of the water. She gasped in air as the current buffeted her about. Her legs felt like dead weight as she started to sink…her legs! She had legs!

Ariel kicked her legs out awkwardly, truly feeling the motion of them for the first time. It felt odd to move through the water with legs instead of a tail. She gasped and flailed for a minute or two, but at last she managed to keep herself afloat. The rough tide of the ocean didn't make things any easier, but floating was enough for now.

The sky was dark, and the moon hung heavy in the sky. The soft light reflected over the water and cast the world into hues of black and white. Ariel's red hair now looked black, and her skin ghostly pale. She shivered as a slight breeze flew over the water. There was nothing but water for miles around and nothing to stave off the wind.

Ariel turned about in the water, trying to see which direction she should swim in to find land. But it was too dark to see far away, and she soon began to despair of finding land until morning, if at all.

Oh, why hadn't she waited until sunrise to make her deal with the sea witch? Why had she been so terribly eager to find her prince? Surely, one more night as a mermaid wouldn't have killed her. But one night as a human out in the ocean might; drowning was suddenly a very real possibility.

She would have to take her chances and just start swimming. Come to think of it, though, she didn't entirely know how to swim with her new legs. She was floating, but that was very different from using her legs to propel herself through the water.

Perhaps she could work them just like a tail. Ariel held her legs together as best she could and kicked out behind her. It was slow-going, and difficult besides. But it was the only way she'd ever known how to swim. Were humans made so different from mermaids that she couldn't even swim the same way anymore?

Before long, she found herself growing weary. She couldn't even tell whether she'd made any progress; the water looked the same in every direction. A panic set in deep in Ariel's chest.

What if she could never find land? What if she could never find her prince? What if she drowned or froze to death? She was neither girl nor mermaid in that moment; she was some halfling made to die alone in the water.

What a wicked curse the sea witch had wrought upon her!

Ariel began to weep. She was stuck. She was going to die out here! She tried to wipe away her tears, but that only served to get seawater on her face. Never in her life had she hated the ocean more than she did at that moment.

"Hello?" someone called in a booming voice.

It came from somewhere behind Ariel. She turned and saw a great ship coming forth from the depths of the night. It had black sails and a figurehead carved in the shape of a mermaid. Ariel took that as a good omen.

She opened her mouth to shout back to the ship, but then she remembered that she had no voice. She splashed the water as loudly as she could and waved her arms in the air. Her chances of being seen in the darkness were minimal, but this mermaid ship was her only hope.

_Please, find me,_ thought Ariel.

The ship loomed closer and closer. Ariel worried that no one had seen her, but at last she saw a rope tossed down along the side of the ship.

"You there!" someone shouted from the deck high above, "Can you climb up?"

Ariel tried to swim toward the ship. But she didn't know how to move her new legs, and she could have sworn that she was coming no closer. Her breath grew short and her arms started to ache, and the ship was still so very far away. Ariel couldn't even call out to tell the ship's crew what was wrong. She looked up to the deck in the hopes that someone would see her plight.

A man stepped up to the railing. He cast off his coat and handed his sword to someone nearby. Then he jumped out over the water and fell in a long arc down to the sea. He landed with a large splash that would have woken every fish in the sea. Ariel flinched.

The man swam over to Ariel. As he drew closer, she saw that he had hair black as night and eyes blue as day. He looked rather like Ariel's prince, only more unkempt. Something in the back of Ariel's head whispered that she shouldn't trust him, but she ignored it. She was just grateful that he had come to help her.

"You can't swim?" he asked.

Ariel shook her head. In that moment, she felt deeply ashamed of the fact that she was a mermaid who literally couldn't swim to save her life.

"Here, I'll help you," said the man.

He wrapped an arm around Ariel's back and, with one arm, swam them both back to the ship. Ariel could have sworn she saw something glittering in the water, but she kept her eyes on the ship ahead. The man was a strong swimmer, and they reached the ship faster than Ariel had expected.

"Hey, toss another rope down!" the man shouted up to the crew.

Another rope appeared over the side of the ship. It tumbled down and fell with a light splash against the water's surface. The man grabbed onto it, but Ariel gasped when he brought his hands out of the water.

The man had a hook in place of his left hand.

Ariel's shock must have shown on her face, because the man followed her eyeline and explained brusquely, "It's not a tale I care to tell."

Ariel nodded.

"Hold on tight," instructed the man.

He gestured with his free hand to the rope in front of Ariel. Ariel did as she was bid. Her wet hands made gripping the rope difficult, but she held on as best as she could.

"Bring us up, boys!" shouted the man.

The rope began to ascend, and Ariel with it. It was a strange feeling, almost as if she were swimming through the air. She had never been entirely out of the water before.

They were halfway up to the deck when the man realized that Ariel was naked. His eyes went wide, and he hurriedly looked away. Ariel blushed, not that it would noticeable in the darkness. Not as noticeable as her stark nakedness, anyway.

"I'll give you my coat when we're aboard," said the man.

Ariel nodded in place of proper thanks.

When they reached the deck, Ariel grabbed the railing and let go of the rope to heave herself awkwardly onto the deck. The man who had helped her out of the water took her by the arm and helped her to her feet, and then he handed her a thick, black coat.

"Put on this, lass," he said, "You need to warm up."

Ariel donned the coat while her teeth chattered from the brisk night air. The coat was way too big for her; it fell almost to her knees, and her hands were completely covered by the long sleeves.

Ariel looked up and realized that she was surrounded by a dozen or so of grizzly crewmen. Ariel was slightly frightened by them, and it didn't help that she was naked save for a coat.

"It looks a bit big for the girl, Killian," said one of the crewmen with a laugh.

"It'll serve until we can find her something else," said the man who had helped Ariel out of the water. He still had a hand on her arm.

Ariel looked around shyly at the crew. Each and everyone one of them was staring at her openly, and most of their expressions were more leering than curious. Ariel wrapped the coat tighter around herself and ducked her head.

"Let's get you below deck," said the man with the hook. Ariel was grateful that he was taking her away from the crew.

The man placed his good hand on Ariel's shoulder, and then he led her across the deck and through a small doorway. The deck had at least been illuminated by a few lanterns, but it was pitch black beyond the door. Ariel stumbled as she crossed the threshold, but the hook-handed man had a firm grip on her arm.

"Sorry about that," he said gruffly, "Just hold on to me, and you'll be fine."

Ariel felt incredibly uneasy as she walked through the darkness of the ship. This wasn't how her story was supposed to go. She had heard a lot of romantic tales when she was younger, and she was certain that none of them had featured a man with a hook for a hand and a crew who leered at an innocent girl.

The man seemed not to notice Ariel's uneasiness.

"My name is Killian, by the way," he said.

Ariel didn't bother nodding; he wouldn't be able to see it. The man stopped moving, and Ariel stopped too, guided by the hand on her arm. Killian opened a door, and light flooded the space where they stood.

On the other side was a small cabin, illuminated by the soft glow of a lantern. Ariel stepped into the room behind Killian, and she looked to her left to find a red-hatted man sleeping on a bunk that was too small for him. The man's elbows and knees were bent at odd angles, but he seemed to be in a deep sleep.

"Mr. Smee!" hollered Killian.

The man in the red hat awoke with a jolt. He snorted and floundered about, and finally he gathered himself to rise to his feet.

"Captain, sir!" he said, adding an obsequious salute.

"Mr. Smee, you'll be moving to another cabin. We've picked up a shipwrecked maid who needs your lodgings," said Killian.

"Begging your pardon, Captain, but is there not somewhere else we could put the girl? Look at her, she's just a bit of a thing. She don't need much space, and I barely fit in here as it is," said Mr. Smee, and Killian cut him off.

"Then I'm sure you won't miss the cabin. Clear out your belongings, and bring some extra blankets and a set of spare clothes for the lass," commanded Killian.

"Yes, sir. Right way, sir, Captain," said Mr. Smee. He saluted again and left, his pudgy legs stampeding over the creaking wooden floors.

"I hope you'll be comfortable here," said Killian, once the man in the red hat had left the room.

Ariel walked around the cabin, a short task considering its relatively small size. But she had a smile on her face all the while. She had seen ships before, most of them sunken wrecks, but this cabin looked exactly how a ship cabin should. Ariel turned and looked at Killian with a smile and an excited nod.

"Good. I'm glad, lass," said Killian, a smile warming his face, "I'll have to figure out a name for you soon. I can't just refer to you as 'lass'."

Ariel perked up at the mention of a name. A new name was intriguing; she needn't be Ariel anymore. She could leave behind the identity of the mermaid so desperate for something other than what she had. A new name was exactly what was needed for a woman about to begin an adventure. But how could she choose a new name without her voice?

"We can figure things out in the morning, though," continued Killian, "It's a shame you've no voice. I would have liked to know how you came to be so far out to sea."

Ariel let out a small giggle. If Killian found out the truth, he would think her half-mad.

"Have I said something amusing?" asked Killian, his voice suddenly walking a line between politely curious and subtly intimidating.

Ariel shook her head, her giggle gone. She pulled the coat's sleeves further over her arms. Her eyes flickered to the door.

"Have I said something wrong?" asked Killian.

His tone still set Ariel on edge. She was silent, but her eyes pleaded for him to leave. She wanted to be alone just then, and hook-handed Captain Killian was making her very uneasy.

"Well, I can tell when I'm not wanted," said Killian.

He turned on his heel and left the room. When the door closed behind him, Ariel let out her breath. She sat down on a rickety, wooden chair and rubbed her ankles together. The cold and the seawater had seeped into her bones. She had never gotten a chill from the ocean before, but now she wished for nothing more than to be warm and dry.

Luckily, Mr. Smee returned a few minutes later with a small bundle of fabric in his arms. He handed them off to Ariel, and she accepted them gratefully. After staring at her curiously for a moment or two, Mr. Smee left the room as quickly as he had come.

Ariel set the bundle on a small table and unfolded it. There were a few blankets, an old loose-fitting shirt, and a pair of trousers. Ariel was a little miffed by the fact that Mr. Smee had brought her trousers. On some of her ventures up to the surface, she had seen land women wearing elegant skirts and dresses. These old, tattered trousers were anything but elegant.

Still, she slipped out of Killian's now-soaked coat and donned the shirt. It slipped down to halfway down her thigh, and she had to roll up the sleeves several times before she could use her hands . The shirt was comfortable, though. Ariel still had no desire to don the trousers.

She shrugged. She was about to go to sleep in the bunk, and sleep did not require that her legs be covered. Ariel left the trousers where they were. She climbed into the bunk and gathered the blankets about her. The bunk may have been too small for Mr. Smee, but it was the perfect size for Ariel.

She went to sleep with her feet curled together as if they were still a tail.


	2. Chapter 2

Ariel dreamed of dancing.

Ladies' skirts swirled over the floor, made satin and silk of every color. Lace swept over the ground and fluttered up into the air. The music rose and fell with the dancers' feet. Ariel longed to join them and learn the steps. But her feet were stuck to the ground. She didn't just hear the music; she felt it.

Ariel awoke. The scant light of a porthole leaked into the cabin. Ariel had the blankets gathered up around her chin, and her feet brushed the wall at the end of her bunk. She smiled when she remembered that she had feet now.

She thought of her dream. She did not remember all of it, but she had clear memories from her girlhood. She had gone to the surface many times and seen people dancing. It had always seemed so graceful; Ariel longed to try it herself.

She had not yet explored what her legs could do. She knew that she could walk and run and jump in the same way that she knew that birds flew through the air. But it was a different thing to see a bird in flight and to be one with it and feel the wind rustling through its feathers. Flying was just swimming in the sky, though. Perhaps dancing was like swimming on the ground?

Ariel cast off her blankets and stepped out of bed. The air was salty and warm on her bare legs. She stretched her arms upward, feeling her muscles loosen all along her body. It felt odd to put her weight on her feet.

Ariel looked down at her legs and sifted through her memories, trying to recall the exact way that dancers moved their legs. She stepped back and forth, swaying her arms to music she couldn't hear. The movements felt odd without a partner; she had only ever seen dancing be done with two people. Still, Ariel held her arms out as if embracing her prince, and she stepped along the floor in a careful pattern.

_I want to be where the people are_, she sang in her head, _I want to see them dancing._

Ariel let go of her imaginary partner and twirled in a circle. She had no flowing skirt that swished around her legs. Her oversized shirt hung low on her thighs and slapped her legs when she moved. It was hardly ideal dancing garb, but nor was silence ideal for a dance.

Ariel raised a leg in the air with her foot pointed out. She swept her arms up over her head as if she were trying to swim toward the surface. She knew how to move her arms; it was her legs that needed guidance.

_It's just two tails instead of one_, she thought.

She extended her legs over the wooden floor, trying to swim through the room. Her movements felt disjointed at first, but the more she moved the more she began to get the hand of it. Walking turned to gliding, gliding turned to swimming, and swimming soon became dancing. Ariel rose to her tiptoes and twirled in a circle. Her red hair whipped around her head and tickled her cheeks. She giggled soundlessly.

_Up where they walk, up where they run, up where they stay all day in the sun_, she sang in her head.

She wished she could at least hum the melody. It had been such a pretty tune when she sang it a week ago. But she had traded her voice for her legs, and she would much rather be able to dance than sing. So she remembered what her song sounded like, and she danced along to the music in her head as best she could. She twirled and twisted her legs like she had her tail, and for a moment she almost felt like a mermaid again.

_What would I give, if I could live out of these waters? What would I pay to spend a day warm on the sand?_

Ariel was dancing. Honestly, truly dancing. More than that, she had gotten her wish. She was out of the sea and dancing on a pair of human legs. Even if she was not on land yet, she would be there soon.

She twirled from sheer joy, and then she did it again. She loved feeling her arms float out in front of her and her legs glide through the air. She was swimming again. She was a mermaid on land, swimming across the floor with two tails instead of one.

Ariel didn't notice the door open, nor did she notice Killian step into the room. He grinned when he saw his shy little sea-lass twirling about the cabin. Ariel came down from her tiptoes and spun around until she was facing the door. Then she froze.

"Don't mind me," said Killian with a smile.

Ariel turned bright red. Oh God, the Captain had seen her dancing. She felt like someone had knocked the wind out of her chest.

"Please, don't stop on my account," said Killian.

Ariel stepped back. She regarded Killian warily, not sure whether he was about to mock her. She had only wanted to try out her new legs, but there was no way she could explain that to him.

"You're a lovely dancer," said Killian, holding out a hand. "May I?"

Ariel looked at his outstretched hand for a moment. She felt torn between her embarassment and her desire to know what it was like to dance with a partner. Killian's smile won her over, though, and Ariel placed her hand in his.

Killian grasped Ariel's hand as if it were made from the most precious porcelain. He held her hand close to his chest, while he removed his hook and tucked it into his belt. Then Killian wrapped his arm around Ariel's waist and held her close.

"Place your free hand on my shoulder," he instructed.

Ariel did so. She felt a bit fluttery, being this close to him. She wasn't sure yet whether she liked it.

"Move your feet as I do, and just let me guide you," said Killian.

Ariel nodded. Then Killian stepped forward and back, side to side, forward and back. Ariel tried to keep up, but the steps confused her. She felt that she preferred her imaginary partner from before. Her clumsiness almost tempted her to disentangle herself from Killian's arms, but he had a firm grasp around her waist. Besides, Ariel was determined to learn how to dance.

"Try not to think about it too much," said Killian.

Ariel nodded again. She took a deep breath and tried to focus less on her feet. But she could keep from looking down. She wondered whether the graceful dancers of her youth had ever felt this clumsy.

Ariel moved her left foot over, and it caught on Killian's boot. She keeled sharply to the side, and she would have fallen over if Killian hadn't had a firm hold around her waist. Ariel righter herself, but she felt rather red in the face.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

Ariel nodded. Killian's gaze was merely concerned and not critical. Ariel had half-expected him to judge her for her utter lack of dancing ability.

"Don't look at your feet," said Killian, "Keep your eyes on mine."

His eyes were bright blue but somehow very dark. Ariel kept her eyes on his, though it made her feel exposed. Killian's eyes seemed to penetrate her soul; his gaze made Ariel feel as if he knew what she was thinking. If he could, all he would find was a lot of worry about her dancing ability.

"Relax," said Killian, "You're hunching your shoulders. Just look into my eyes."

He pulled her in closer to him and brushed his thumb over Ariel's hand. Ariel suddenly felt as though the oxygen had gotten sparser in the room. Her eyes locked with Killian's, and her brain shut out everything else. His eyes were very blue.

Without her thoughts to muddle her movement, Ariel's feet began to move gracefully once more. She stepped in time with Killian, and they began to glide through the room at an even pace. Ariel smiled, and so did Killian.

"That's my girl," he said.

Ariel blushed at being referred to as such. But Killian seemed to think nothing of it, so she assumed it to be a throwaway address that he used freely. She wished vaguely that Killian knew her name, but it didn't make a difference, not really.

"You're feeling better since you fell in the sea?" asked Killian.

Ariel nodded, although the question wasn't entirely accurate.

"I should have liked to hear how it came about. Shame about your voice. Do you know how you lost it?" asked Killian.

Ariel did a mixture of a shrug and a nod. Killian laughed.

"A silly question, I suppose. But you know, it's difficult being the only one holding up a conversation. I'm putting in all this work, and for what? You can't respond to anything I'm saying."

Ariel didn't know hot to reply to that. She hoped that her eyes communicated what she was thinking, because her voice certainly couldn't.

"You probably enjoy seeing me make an ass of myself, don't you?" said Killian.

Ariel giggled silently. Killian grinned at the sight. He pulled his arm back from around Ariel's waist and held his other hand, still entwined with Ariel's, above her head. Ariel stepped away and twirled, much like she had when she was dancing alone. Then she stepped back into Killian's waiting arms.

"You need a name," he said.

Ariel nodded. But she wasn't entirely sure whether she trusted Killian with something as important as a name.

"Some people call me Hook, you know," he said, "Not terribly imaginative. But still, a name should have some meaning. I may be a pirate, but I know a little something about names. So what shall I call you?"

They continued to dance as Killian pondered. His eyes bore in Ariel's with scrutiny that was both flattering and vaguely disconcerting. She waited and waited, and finally Killian spoke.

"What about Marina?" he suggested.

Ariel shook her head. That name spoke too much of where she came from.

"Dawn?" he said.

She wrinkled her nose. Killian laughed.

"Okay, okay. I get it. Perhaps Annabelle?" he said.

Ariel considered it for a moment. The name was definitely pretty, but it just didn't feel right. She shook her head.

"You're a bit picky, you know that?" said Killian, "If you weren't so pretty that might be a problem."

Ariel blushed.

"Ah, now I've got it. I'll call you Rosey," said Killian, "It matches your cheeks and your hair. How do you like it?"

Ariel smiled and nodded. She liked the name. And she liked that it was a flower; flowers only grew on land.

They danced some more after Killian gave Ariel a name, but he had to leave soon after. Captain's duties called him away. In his absence, Ariel continued to twirl about her room. She repeated her new name in her head again and again.

_Have you met Rosey? She dances ever so gracefully_, thought Ariel. It made her smile.

Late in the day, the sunlight that flowed into Ariel's cabin turned a golden orange. Ariel wondered when it had gotten so late, if the sun was already going down. She was beginning to wonder whether she could go visit Killian when there came a knock at the door.

Mr. Smee stood there, red cap on his head and a black dress in his hands.

"We, um, this was in the hold. We found it, you see," he explained, stuffing the fabric into Ariel's hands. "The Captain wants me to tell you to join us above deck."

Ariel nodded.

Mr. Smee did not move. He stood stock-still in the doorway, his eyes pinned on Ariel's lower half. When Ariel noticed where his eyeline was directed, she panicked for a half-second that he had somehow discovered her secret. Then she realized that her legs were completely bare. She hadn't noticed while she was dancing with Killian.

Ariel snatched a blanket off of the bed and wrapped it around her hips. It hung all the way down to the floor, and thankfully Mr. Smee got the hint. He mumbled an apology and ran off, leaving the door wide open. With the blanket still around her legs, Ariel stumbled over to close the door. Her privacy restored, she dropped the blanket and reached for the dress Mr. Smee had brought her.

She pulled off the loose shirt she had been wearing all day and tossed it over to her bunk. Then Ariel stepped into the black dress and laced it up in the front. It fit decently well, though the skirt only came down to halfway down to just below her knee. She twirled about the cabin a bit, and the dress fluttered delectably around her legs.

Above deck, the whole world was painted in shades of red and gold. The sun, soon to set below the horizon, reflected its last light over the ocean. Ariel shaded her eyes when she first emerged on the deck; it was almost too much for her eyes. But Killian soon appeared and grabbed her hand away.

He led her over to where the crew was gathered near the stern of the ship. Most of the men were perched on barrels, and those who had no seat leaned on those who did. Almost everyone had a drink in his hand. The crewmen greeted Killian with a rowdy salute and quickly stuffed a mug into their captain's hand. Killian laughed and hollered along with them, but he kept a hand on Ariel the whole time.

Ariel felt slightly ill at ease amongst all these half-drunk crewmen, but she felt a thrill of delight when some of them started playing music. Evidently, it was a song that everyone knew, because all of the men sang along.

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me," they sang.

Ariel felt a bit of fear rise in the back of her throat. She had been picked up by pirates? That was definitely not how it went in the stories. How would she find her prince if she was in the hands of pirates?

Ariel may have been ill at ease, but no one took any notice. The men continued to drink and sing. As the sun went down, it seemed that they compensated for the growing darkness by singing even more loudly. Killian remained next to Ariel, although he, too, participated liberally in drink and song. He offered Ariel a sip of beer at one point, but he did not press her when she refused.

The sun went down and the full moon rose in the sky. The night was so full of stars that it seemed as if someone had added some extras. Ariel was mystified by the night sky, having never taken notice of stars before.

Some of the men lit lanterns and placed them around the deck. The men drank and sang and enjoyed themselves well into the night. Ariel found herself growing more at ease with them with each passing hour, and she laughed voicelessly as the men told bawdy jokes and sang sailor songs.

"Hey, play 'The Mermaid', will you?" called Killian.

The men with the instruments struck up a lively tune. Ariel was a little disconcerted that Killian had requested a song about a mermaid, but her worries melted away when he offered his hand.

"Care to dance, Rosey?" he asked.

Ariel rose to her bare feet and placed her hand in Killian's. They stepped away from the barrels to an open space on the deck that was dimly touched by the lantern light. The orange glow flickered on half of Killian's face, reflecting in his blue eyes.

"Your hair is like fire in this light," said Killian.

Ariel smiled. She placed a hand on Killian's shoulder. He tucked his hook into his belt and then wrapped his handless arm around Ariel's waist.

"It was Friday morn' when we set sail and we were not far from the land," sang the crewmen, "When our captain, he spied a mermaid so fair with a comb and a glass in her hand."

Killian led Ariel along the deck at a faster pace than they had danced earlier. It was a livelier tune than silence, to be sure. Ariel tried to focus on Killian rather than her feet, or else she would surely stumble again. Killian smiled and laughed and even sang along with the tune.

"And the ocean waves do roll, and the stormy winds do blow," he sang.

They laughed and skipped along the deck, while the crew drank and sang the rowdy tune. Ariel skipped and twirled. Her cheeks felt hot, and her hair was getting mussed. When the tune ended, Ariel felt rather giddy, and Killian had to catch her around the waist to keep her from falling over.

"All right, Rosey?" he asked.

Ariel nodded with a giddy grin on her face. She loved dancing; she wished the song hadn't ended.

"It's a good song for dancing, 'The Mermaid.' Thought you'd enjoy it," said Killian.

They returned to their places with the rest of the crew. Killian picked up his drink again, and with it halfway to his lips he remarked, "Reminds me a bit of how we found you. Lost girl in the sea; sure sounds like a mermaid."

Ariel said nothing. She looked down at her legs, just to make sure they were still there.


	3. Chapter 3

Land loomed just nearer than the horizon, growing closer with each passing moment. Ariel felt a thrill from the moment she first spied it in the distance. Her eagerness waned as she realized that it would take most of the day for the ship to actually reach the shore. It was mid-morning when she spotted land, and the ship did not actually get near the land until late-afternoon.

Ariel had been able to communicate to Killian that she sought to find land somewhere near the castle, although it had taken a lot of miming from Ariel and guessing from Killian. The whole conversation had been largely amusing. By the end of it, both Ariel and Killian were in fits of laughter from their guessing game. Fortunately, though, Killian had understood Ariel's intentions and agreed to take her ashore near the castle.

The ship anchored a ways away from the shore. Killian explained to Ariel that the water was too shallow for them to get any closer in such a large vessel. A rowboat was readied by some of the crew to take them ashore, whilst Killian and Ariel waited near the bow of the ship.

Ariel leaned over the railing. From this angle, she could see the mermaid figurehead. Its tail was sea-green, just as Ariel's had been.

"Be careful you don't fall," said Killian, "I'd feel obligated to jump in after you."

Ariel straigtened, but she didn't step away from the railing. She looked at Killian with a measure of annoyance.

"You know you can't swim. I pulled you out once before; I'm not doing it again," said Killian.

Ariel shrugged and stepped away from the railing. She walked toward where their rowboat was being readied. Killian followed close behind.

"Is she ready to go down?" called Killian, gesturing to the small vessel.

"Aye, just about," responded Mr. Smee.

"Excellent. Rosey, after you," said Killian.

Ariel stepped forward, and the crew moved aside so she could climb aboard. Killian offered a hand for balance while Ariel stepped in, and he followed a moment later.

"Lower us down," commanded Killian.

There was a general murmur of "Aye, aye, Captain." Then the rowboat began to lower, inch by inch. The movement was jerky at best, and Ariel found herself clutching the sides of the boat. Killian seemed unperturbed.

"Relax, Rosey," said Killian, "They won't drop their captain."

His words did little to quell her anxiety, but she nodded all the same.

"And don't mind what I said before. If you fall in, I'll happily go in after you," said Killian.

Ariel paused. Was that why she was nervous about the rowboat swaying so much? She had spent her whole life in the ocean, and suddenly she found herself dreading going back in more than anything else. The irony tasted bitter.

Finally, the rowboat landed in the water with a small splash. Ariel let out her breath when she felt the ocean rolling beneath them. The boat being suspended in mid-air unnerved her in the same way that a human in the ocean did; those sort of half-lives were simply never meant to be.

Killian let loose the ropes from the sides of the rowboat, and the crew pulled up the lines. Then Killian grabbed the oars and started rowing. Land was not terribly far away, but the distance was a lot more imposing from the rowboat than a large ship. Ariel wondered whether she would reach the castle before nightfall.

Killian rowed at a steady pace. His arms pushed back and forth, dragging the heavy oars through the water. The soft splash of water against the wood soothed Ariel's troubled mind. Killian rowed in silence for a few minutes. Then he spoke, and Ariel was broken out of her reverie.

"I suppose I won't be seeing you again, Rosey," Killian said carefully.

Ariel almost shook her head, but then she realized that she genuinely didn't know. She had grown almost fond of Killian over the past day and a half. The prospect of never seeing him again stirred up something at the back of her mind. But she pushed it down and just shrugged noncommitally.

"I guessed as much. Probably to be something good waiting for you at the castle," said Killian.

Ariel nodded, a small smile slipping into her cheeks. She thought of her prince, all dark hair and large muscles. He had been so very handsome, not entirely unlike Killian.

Killian's hook caught her eye. It was difficult to ignore it, as Killian had looped it through a hole in the oar's handle. The hook almost sparkled in the evening light, and its sharp tip glistened ominously. However kind Killian may have been to Ariel, that hook had always been there in all its vulgar glory.

_Except when we danced, _thought Ariel, _He took it out to dance._

Killian noticed where Ariel's eyes had landed. He said, "I suppose you're still wondering how I got it?"

Ariel looked up at Killian's face. He didn't look angry, but he seemed not to like the idea of telling her how he had lost his hand. Ariel knew all too well the feeling of not wishing to discuss the past. So she smiled sympathetically and shook her head.

"I appreciate it, Rosey," said Killian.

By this point, they had come very near the shore. Killian had to maneuver the rowboat carefully as they got closer. When they were only a few yards away, he dropped the oars and jumped out to haul the boat ashore. Ariel stayed in the rowboat, gripping the sides so hard her knuckles turned white. The tide was rougher than she would have liked, and the rowboat bounced along unpleasantly.

The rowboat bumped onto the sand. Killian let go and offered a hand to Ariel as she climbed out. The moment Ariel's feet hit the sand, she scampered away from the ocean.

"Are you so scared of the sea?" asked Killian.

Ariel didn't nod, but nor did she deny it. She hated having to be afraid of the ocean; it was her home, or at least it had been. But with a pair of legs confining her to the land, the ocean wasn't something she could return to so easily.

"Must have been some shipwreck," said Killian.

Ariel was barely listening. The enormity of what she was about to do struck her in that moment. When she had made her deal with the sea witch, she had been in the ocean. When she first tested out her new legs and danced with Killian, she had been on the ocean. Now, though, she was taking her first steps entirely separate from the water. Something felt wrong.

"Rosey?" said Killian, waving his hand around.

Ariel looked up, trying to feign attentiveness.

"I was saying," said Killian, "I suppose this is where we part ways."

Ariel nodded. She found herself missing the mermaid on the front of Killian's ship.

"I wish you all the luck in the world, Ariel," said Killian.

Ariel smiled. She curstied, as she knew that was the proper gesture that ladies did on land. It felt oddly formal. Killian indulged her, though, and he bowed like a gentleman. Ariel giggled silently. From his doubled-over position, Killian brought his eyes up to Ariel's. He grinned, and it was the same smirk that had gotten Ariel to dance with him back on his ship.

Ariel felt a sudden urge to dance with him once more. She knew she didn't have time; she had to get to the castle before nightfall. But Killian had been the one to teach her to dance, and it seemed odd to part with only a bow and a curtsy.

Ariel held out her hand. Hook looked at it curiously for a moment. Then he placed his hand over Ariel's and curled her fingers over her palm.

"I'm afraid I can't," he said, "I need to get back to my ship, and you need to get back to your castle."

His eyes were so blue. Ariel couldn't look away, but she knew she would have to in only a moment or two.

"Perhaps you can find a handsome prince to dance with, my little mermaid," said Killian.

He leaned down to kiss Ariel on the cheek. He gave her one last smile, and then he walked away and pushed his rowboat out into the ocean. He jumped in once the tide caught it, and he began rowing not long after. Ariel watched as Killian drifted farther and farther out into the ocean. She waved, even though she was sure he couldn't see.

When Killian had almost neared his ship, Ariel turned and walked away from the surf. The sand shifted playfully beneath her bare feet. The golden sunlight of the late evening drifted over the beach and painted everything a golden hue. Ariel forced herself to smile and look ahead toward the horizon.


End file.
